


Booze Routes

by Bay



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prohibition Era, Gen, Prohibition
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-19
Updated: 2014-12-19
Packaged: 2018-03-02 04:01:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2798789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bay/pseuds/Bay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prohibition AU. The Pines twins are staying with Grunkle Stan for the summer and they're in for a surprise when they find out he's going to teach them how to drive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Booze Routes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [intrikate88](https://archiveofourown.org/users/intrikate88/gifts).



> Written for intrikate88 in Yuletide 2014. When I read your Gravity Falls prompt I thought it's a very cool idea to try out and I really had fun writing it!
> 
> **Prompt:** Prohibition AU

The five hour trip from their hometown to Gravity Falls was the longest bus ride Dipper and his sister had ever taken. A few more minutes until they were to reach their destination and he wasn't excited at all. 

Staying in Gravity Falls for the summer was the last thing Dipper would consider as fun. He had never visited the town before, but his father had told him there was nothing much to do except hiking and fishing at the nearby lake. And yet, both Dad and Mom believed some outdoors would be good for their children. Dipper was pulled from his thoughts when Mabel began calling his name and waving her hand in his face at him. 

"What is it, Mabel?" he asked, facing her. He had been staring out of the window throughout the bus ride. 

"Well, I've been thinking. Maybe staying with our Grunkle Stan for a while won't be so bad after all." 

"How so?" 

"Since the town is in the middle of the woods, think of all the adventures we can have! I bet there's a lot of hidden caves and treasure!" Mabel then gasped dramatically and cupped her hands on her cheeks. "Maybe I can find a cute boy to hang out with!" 

Dipper rolled his eyes. Of course finding a boyfriend would be his sister's top priority. Hidden caves and treasure did sound interesting, though. He hoped that would be the case so he wouldn't be bored out of his mind the whole summer. 

"The Mystery Shack!" the driver announced just as he stopped the bus, catching both twins' attention. 

"That's our stop!" Dipper said. He and Mabel grabbed their bags and rushed out of the bus. 

The twins halted a moment to gaze at their home for the summer It was a two-story cabin building with the sign “The Mystery Shack” in bold, red lettering. Dipper noticed a parked car nearby, which he assumed belonged to their great uncle. He and Mabel looked at one another as if unsure of what to expect next, before heading over to the “shack” together. Once they reached the door, Mabel knocked on it and they waited until they were greeted by a middle aged man wearing a pin-stripe suit and bow tie. 

"Who might you kids be?" he asked, staring at them in suspicion. 

With a huge grin, Mabel didn't hesitate introducing themselves to him. "I’m Mabel, and this is my brother Dipper! You must be our Grunkle Stan, right?" 

Realization spread across the man's face. "Oh, the twins. Yeah, I was expecting you two to show up sometime today." Uncle Stan shifted his eyes away from them and scratched the back of his neck. "I guess I can give you guys the tour." 

After the twins stepped inside, they followed Uncle Stan as he showed them around their new home. Dipper already knew he ran a sideshow shop but wasn't sure what stuff The Mystery Shack had. Jars of eyeballs, various types of animal teeth, mannequins of well-known and not so well-known historical figures... many of the displays being shown were unusual and bizarre. 

"And this is supposed to be a mask made by the founder of this state," Uncle Stan said upon finishing the tour. "Apparently he liked masquerade parties a lot." He pointed to a colorful hawk mask lying on a table. Obviously intrigued, Mabel snatched the mask and covered her face with it. 

"Caw caw!" Mabel said and giggled before putting the mask down. 

"Uncle Stan, is this what you do for a living? Give tours and show... these things to visitors?" Dipper asked. He already couldn't imagine doing this all his life. His great uncle reacted to the question by laughing, which confused Dipper. 

"I consider this my day job, kid. There's another thing I do that brings in more money. Now that I'm done showing you around The Mystery Shack, how about you guys put your bags upstairs real quick and then I'll let you see something neat outside?" 

"Really? All right!" Mabel said in excitement, pumping her fist in the air. She then turned around to go get her bags, Dipper trailing behind her. 

He and Mabel stepped out of The Mystery Shack after they finished taking their luggage up to their room to find Uncle Stan waiting for them outside. While everyone was walking, Dipper thought about what Uncle Stan had said earlier. _There's another thing I do that brings in more money._ Could it be related to what he was going to show them later? He doubted his uncle could have another sidejob while living in the middle of nowhere. 

Several minutes had passed until Uncle Stan stopped them in the middle of the woods. Dipper glanced around to see a large copper still pot and column pipes. Many wooden boxes filled with glass bottles had been spread out. He stole a glance at his sister, who was just as baffled as he was. 

"Ta-da!" Uncle Stan said, striking a dramatic pose. 

"What is this?" Mabel asked, titling her head. 

Dipper took a sniff and immediately recognized the scent. "Rum? Are you making illegal booze?" he said in shock. Thanks to Prohibition, selling and making alcohol was against the law. 

Upon hearing that, Uncle Stan hushed them and lowered his voice. "Yes," he whispered. "I've been doing this other gig for a few years and I’m pulling in more money this way.” 

So he was right that this was related to Uncle Stan's sidejob. Dipper asked, "Why are you showing us this?" 

"Since you'll be staying with me for the summer, I could use some help delivering the rum. In exchange, I'll teach you how to drive." 

Already Mabel screamed in delight. "We get to learn how to drive? Count me in!" 

"Hold up, I'm not sure it's a good idea we get involved with this," Dipper said to his sister. 

"Come on, Dipper. We'll get to go anywhere we want and brag to everyone back home that we can drive!" 

Dipper took a moment to consider his sister's words. Going anywhere he wanted to _did_ sound fascinating, and he wouldn't need to rely on his parents or the bus for transportation. This was also something fun he could do during the summer. He didn't want to get caught by the police, but perhaps there was a chance they could get away with it. Smirking, he faced his great uncle and held out his hand to him. 

"Uncle Stan, you got yourself a deal," he said, and Uncle Stan accepted his handshake. 

xxx 

Throughout the month, Uncle Stan had been teaching the twins how to drive and delivering alcohol to the residents. He would watch their progress and give them pointers each time one of them took the wheel. At first it took a while for Dipper to get used to the steering wheel, gas pedal, and making sharp turns, but he eventually was able to drive a few miles without much trouble. He thought Mabel was getting better at driving, too. Meeting Gravity Falls' residents wasn’t so bad either. Some of the folks were strange, but many others were quite nice and easy to talk to; no one seemed to mind minors distributing illegal alcohol to them. 

One night it was Mabel's turn to drive and the Pines trio dropped by Lazy Eye Susan's house to deliver the rum to her. She greeted them happily, smiling at everyone. 

"Well, if it isn't Stan and his adorable niece and nephew! I take it you guys have more of your finest rum?" 

"We sure do!" Mabel said, grinning. She then handed her a box of rum. 

"This is perfect. Thanks!" Lazy Susan pulled some money from her purse and gave it to Stan. 

"Great doing business as always," Stan said as he put the money in the pockets of his suit. 

With the delivery done, everyone said goodnight to her and headed to the truck. Mabel took the driver’s seat while Dipper and Uncle Stan settled in the passenger’s seat. 

"Okay kids, I have a big announcement," Stan said. "I recently got a telegraph from a friend of mine back in Washington and he wants me to deliver some of my rum to his place. I'm already letting Wendy and Soos watch over The Mystery Shack while we're away." 

"Wait, does that mean we'll be going out of state, then?" Dipper asked. 

Uncle Stan nodded. "We'll be leaving tomorrow, early evening." 

"Oh, will Dipper and I take turns driving?" Mabel asked, jumping up and down. 

"Of course," Uncle Stan replied with a wink. 

Mabel cheered while Dipper's mouth twitched. A road trip did sound exciting, but a part of him worried something might go wrong, as he and Mabel had only just learned how to drive. What if they got caught by the police? Car troubles? An unexpected accident? All of this was way too sudden. 

The next day, just as the sun began to set, the twins helped their great uncle pack a few boxes of rum in the truck. They covered the alcohol with blankets and old coats just in case. 

"Road trip! Road trip!" Mabel said after they finished, running around in excitement. 

"We'll be crossing Mount Hood Forest," Uncle Stan said, "so getting through there will be rough." 

"I take it you’ve crossed into Washington before," Dipper said. 

"This will be my third time since I started this, but I still know which roads to take. Remember, we'll drive mostly in the dark so we don't get caught by the police." Uncle Stan's expression changed, as if he had remembered something. "Before we go, have I showed you guys the engine?" 

Both siblings shook their heads. Their great uncle immediately opened the hood and had them look at the car's engine. 

"This is actually an ambulance engine, which will make this car much faster than an ordinary engine." Before Uncle Stan continued, Mabel made an impressed whistle. "With this baby, the police won't be able to match our speed!" 

"You can count on us!" Mabel said and saluted Uncle Stan. She then looked at her brother, giving him a concerned expression. "Why aren't you excited?" 

"I'm not sure we're ready to do this… we're not experienced drivers." 

"Hey, don't worry too much," Uncle Stan said, closing the hood. "Luckily you kids have had some practice driving mountain roads. Even then, I'll do the majority of the driving." 

Dipper still wasn't convinced he was ready for this, but hearing that put him at ease. If Uncle Stan had confidence he and Mabel could do this, then he would trust him on his judgment. He smiled. 

With everything prepared, everyone stepped inside the truck and headed to their destination. 

xxx 

The first few hours of the drive went smoothly so far with everyone taking turns to drive once in a while. Dipper sometimes worried about crashing the truck when he took the wheel, but he adjusted to driving in the dark just fine. They eventually stopped at a motel to rest, and the next day they ate at a small restaurant next to the motel. 

"So Grunkle Stan, how did you get started in this business?" Mabel asked before eating her mashed potatoes and corn. 

"I overheard one of the residents mention that they made their own alcohol and sold it to others. I taught myself how to do it, and here I am." 

"Was it hard for you at first?" Dipper asked, fairly interested. He watched as his great uncle ate more of his hamburger before giving his reply. 

"It became easy for me after several tries. I can see myself doing this for a while longer." 

Despite only living with Uncle Stan a short period, Dipper thought it was good he’d found something he enjoyed doing (even though it was illegal). He wouldn't mind helping his uncle the rest of the summer. 

They waited until close to sunset to hit the road again, and it was Dipper's turn to drive. He often glanced around his surroundings to see the looming trees, mountains, and Columbia River passing by him; there was no doubt Oregon was a beautiful state. Driving through scenery like this was pretty relaxing. 

"How much longer until we reach Mills Town?" Dipper asked. 

"There's still a couple hundred miles until we cross into Washington, but we'll need to stay at another motel shortly after. We'll be able to make it to Mills Town sometime tomorrow." 

Dipper responded with a nod and brought his full attention back to the road. At that instant, he heard sirens and his stomach dropped. He looked through the rear mirror to see a police car chasing behind them. Either they figured out their car stored illegal alcohol, noticed a twelve year old driving, or both. 

"The police are behind us!" he shouted in terror. This was what Dipper was afraid of. He didn't want his summer to end with him in jail. This had been a bad idea from the start. 

"What we do now?" Mabel asked with wide eyes, just as frightened as he was. 

"Step on the gas pedal!" Uncle Stan snapped. 

Dipper stomped on the gas pedal as hard as he could, hearing the engine roar louder. Faster, faster, faster. While he continued to push the car's speed, his heart raced in exhilaration. He was actually outrunning the police and he loved every moment of it. Faster, faster, faster. Eventually he had put a fairly long distance between him and the police, enough for law enforcement to not be able to catch up to them. 

"You did it, Dipper! We outran the police!" Mabel said happily. 

"I did?" Dipper said, not believing what had just occurred at first. Once the realization hit him, he grinned. "I actually did it!" 

"See? I knew you would be able to do this!" Stan said and offered him a triumphant smile. 

Still feeling the thrill of what happened, Dipper allowed himself to cheer aloud. 

xxx 

 

The rest of the trip went without much trouble. It was two hours until they crossed Washington state and another hour before they rested at another motel. Later the group continued on the last stretch of their trip until they reached Mills Town. Everyone left the car, grabbed the boxes of booze, and headed to the cabin they had stopped at. After Stan knocked on the door, they waited until a man that looked to be Uncle Stan's age opened it. 

"Ha-ha! Why if it ain't Stan Pines visitin'!" he said, offering him a toothy grin. He then noticed Dipper and Mabel. "Oh? Who are those two?" 

"They're my nephew and niece, and they're here to help me make the delivery." 

The old man nodded and scratched his long beard. "Well, it's nice to see the both of you. Everyone around here calls me Old Man McGucket!" he said and stretched his hand out for Dipper and Mabel to shake. The siblings introduced themselves to him and accepted the handshake. 

They stayed in Old Man McGucket's cabin for an hour so that Uncle Stan and his friend could talk about what they had been up to. As Dipper listened to them talking, he learned Old Man McGucket used to live in Gravity Falls but then moved to pursue other opportunities; the two friends still communicated to one another through letters and other means. When it was time for them to leave, they said goodbye to Uncle Stan's friend and he told them they could visit again anytime. 

"I like Old Man McGucket," Mabel said once they were next to the truck. "The way he slaps his arms and legs sometimes is funny." 

Dipper chuckled, shaking his head. "Whenever he does that I have no idea what he's saying." 

"It's probably best if you don't." Uncle Stan then said, "So, you guys enjoyed your first bootlegging road trip across state lines?" 

"Totally! My favorite moment is when we were able to get away from the police," Mabel said. She began making car noises and steered an imaginary wheel. 

"And it's all thanks to your brother!" Uncle Stan said, slapping Dipper on the back. Dipper was taken aback, but he smiled nonetheless. 

"Well, if it weren't for you teaching me how to drive then I wouldn't have been able to do that in the first place." So far this had been the best summer Dipper had ever had, and he hoped the rest of it would be just as memorable. 

"No problem, kid," Uncle Stan said and smiled. He then clapped his hands together. "I'll be taking over the wheel for a while; we have a long trip back home ahead."


End file.
